House of the Lord
by Cardcaptor Ryoko
Summary: Just a short drabble, rated to be safe. Warnings include human names and religion, if the latter counts as a warning.


A/N: I first uploaded this a while ago on my dA, and now I figure I ought to share it on . I'm not sure how well it will be received here, but who knows?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Hetalia. Also, while this fanfic is based on a real event (the completion and dedication of a new LDS/Mormon temple in Kyiv/Kiev, Ukraine), involvement of the Hetalia characters as depicted here is fictional, and this story is not written with any intent to offend.

_OOC/SCREWUP WARNING: _While I have written a few Hetalia fics in the past, if I recall right this is the first fic that I have written involving the three Slavic siblings (yes, I'm aware Poland is also Slavic, but I think most of you know what I mean). So forgive me if any of you feel that I have written them in a way that is out of character.

* * *

Katya stood in the stone courtyard nervously, fidgeting with a pendant she wore on a chain about her neck and staring nervously at the ground. This was a bad idea, she knew it. As her nation personified, endorsing any one religion, or rather outwardly showing any such endorsement, could be detrimental to her reputation. Her Russian Orthodox leanings at least were a bit more justified, and understandable. But this strange, new church… This, this was a different story entirely.

She looked up again at the pristine, white structure. Many of her people, both those who were or were not part of the religion for which it was built, were entering and exiting that curiously pure, possibly even holy building. She heard in the distance voices of those, curious like her. They didn't want to leave, some of them said. Others still walked out of that building with a radiating air of peace about them, even those who walked past her. She even heard some of the non-members asking more about the church. Was it really that significant? Did this place, this "temple," as they called it… what was there about it that brought people to feel this way?

Katya gingerly took another step forward. Perhaps, maybe this wasn't such a bad idea at all. Yet another step, and another before she was walking at full speed to join the crowd flooding into the building. Now, she said, it was her turn, more as Katyusha Braginskaya than as Ukraine, to see what these "Latter-Day Saints" were all about.

* * *

"What's the big deal?" Ivan asked, standing now next to his sister where she had stood the week before on the temple grounds. "Our Orthodox cathedrals are far more elaborate than this place." He looked first at the building and then at his sister. In contrast to his curious skepticism, Katya looked on at the temple with her face as bright as the sun shining down on them that day. Her smile, pristine and brilliant, reminded him almost too much of America. He wasn't too sure he liked that. It's not that he had any objection to Katyusha being happy – no, not at all. What concerned him was that she was taking joy in such a peculiar thing as a "temple" for some strange religion brought over from the West…. More specifically from America. And that Joseph Smith character she talked about. He wasn't sure he liked him either.

"I agree with Brother," Natlalia remarked. "What's so special about this place? And why did you bring us here _today?_"

"Because," Katya replied, "This is the last day we can go in. After today it'll close until the dedication, and then after that you have to be a member to get in." She sighed with what almost sounded to Ivan like… longing? Did she actually _want_ involvement in this group of crazy misguided people? As much as he loved his sister, there were times that Ivan really couldn't understand her.

"Sister, this is crazy," Ivan declared, grabbing her hand as he turned the other way. She let his hand go, and it took a moment for Ivan to realize that while Natalia was following him with her normal and often creepy diligence, Katya was not. She stood her ground, hands clenched in fists as she kept her eyes intent on the building. Ivan stopped as well, and looked on at his sister in utter bewilderment. Was it really that important to her that she share this…. This whatever-it-is, with her siblings? Her family?

"You can go, if you really want to," she finally whispered. "I can't force you to go in with me."

"Sister…" Ivan muttered. "If it's that important to you, I guess it wouldn't hurt."

"If Brother does it, I'll come too."

Katya turned her head to look at her siblings. Beads of water began to intrude on the corners of her eyes as they often seemed to do nowadays, betraying the smile still on her face. She immediately wiped them away with her sleeve before looking back up at them.

"Thank you. You guys won't regret this."

* * *

A/N: I don't know why I wrote this, it's just… after watching the _Faith Reborn_ program on BYU TV after Conference, I almost felt inspired to write it. As to why I'm posting it anywhere though, well… that I guess might be a product of habit in that I almost always upload what I write, or that could be another impression from that still, small voice.

But by all means, please leave comments or reviews if you want to. ^^;


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